Personal protective equipment, or PPE, is an essential consideration when using any kind of outdoor power equipment. This work can be dangerous, particularly when the actual tools present a threat if you’re not careful.
Even when you’re not using inherently dangerous power equipment, there are other ways of getting injured or suffering permanent damage if you don’t wear the right PPE for safety.
Personal protective equipment should shield vulnerable parts of your body from flying debris, protect your eyes and hearing, and prevent respiratory problems. In extreme cases, full-body PPE is necessary when extremely dangerous chemicals are involved.
What is PPE?
There are many types of personal protective equipment. PPE gear is purpose-designed for specific tasks and environments. You can get protective headgear and eyewear, clothing and shoes. Other PPE includes facemasks, gloves and shin guards. Ear protection is another important type of personal protective equipment.
Here’s a general personal protective equipment list for you to reference when you’re working with outdoor power tools.
1. Chaps & Chainsaw Pants
Chainsaw pants and chaps are ideal for working on the ground and for climbing large trees to trim branches. This PPE gear is made from materials like ballistic nylon or Kevlar, designed to resist cuts. They use multiple material layers to protect your legs from the chainsaw blade.
Highly-engineered chainsaw blocking material prevents chainsaw kickback, and stops the chainsaw from rotating as soon it touches the pants. This can prove to be lifesaving PPE.
2. Chainsaw Gloves
Chainsaw gloves are sturdy and cut-resistant, protecting your hands if they contact with chainsaw blade. This is mandatory PPE if you value your fingers. They also provide protection against flying splinters and other debris.
The gloves are typically made up of an outer layer and an inner layer, which work together to resist the chainsaw blade. The outer layer is made from a thick material that can withstand tears, cuts and punctures.
The inner layer is constructed with long loose fibres, using Kevlar, nylon or Prolar fabrics. If the chainsaw can cut through the outer layer, this material wraps itself around the blade’s drive sprockets to immediately stop rotation.
3. Safety Glasses
Personal protective equipment should also look after your eyes. Safety glasses are made from extremely tough materials, to protect your eyes from flying debris, dust and other hazards.
The lenses typically use a UV-resistant polycarbonate thermoplastic material that can withstand high impacts. They have scratch-resistant, anti-fog coatings. Nylon is often used for the frames, due to its flexibility, durability and light weight.
Some safety glasses come with side shields, providing extra peripheral protection. They can also have padding for extra comfort, and soft foam for a tighter seal around your eyes.
There are four main types of safety glasses used as PPE:
- Standard safety glasses – these are like normal glasses, but made from hardened polycarbonate.
- Safety goggles – this personal protective equipment provides greater coverage around the eye area.
- Cyclops glasses – these fit snugly over each eye, completely covering and sealing them against airborne hazards.
- Welding goggles – the most heavy-duty glasses, these protect your eyes from the infrared radiation and extreme light given off by welding equipment.
4. Safety Helmets and Visors
Safety helmets are essential PPE when you’re working in a place where objects could fall from above. They’re made from lightweight composite materials that are extremely strong, to resist impact.
They also come with visors to protect your eyes and face. These are made from similar polycarbonate materials that can withstand high impact and high temperatures. They provide protection from flying debris while preserving visibility. Integrated safety helmet and visor PPE thus provides reliable dual protection for your head and face.
5. Hearing Protection
Hearing protection PPE gear shields your ears from the loud noises of outdoor power equipment. Prolonged exposure to these noise levels can cause hearing defects, so it’s important not to overlook this aspect.
Types of hearing protection range from simple ear plugs to external ear muffs. Ear muffs cover the entire ear and provide increased protection, so they make a better type of PPE for very noisy work environments.
6. Shin Guards
Shin guards do exactly that, protecting your lower legs from stones and other hazardous objects that get kicked up when working outside. They also protect your shins if you bump into something, blunt or sharp.
They’re very versatile personal protection equipment that you can use for many kinds of outdoor work, from brush cutting to construction.
7. Boot Protectors
Boot protectors play two roles as PPE. They protect your boots and feet from damage due to falling objects or striking something on the ground. They also prevent debris, liquids and other unwanted materials from entering your boots.
They’re made from robust, waterproof materials. You can also get boot covers that wrap around your entire foot. These have dedicated anti-slip properties for a stable footing.
8. Reflective Clothing
Reflective clothing is must-have PPE when working in low light conditions, especially where vehicles travel. It helps others see where you are, particularly drivers using car headlights.
This clothing is made from material containing tiny microprisms, which reflect light directly back towards its source, making you highly visible. This significantly increases safety levels for everyone on a construction site, for example.
9. Respiratory Protection
Respiratory protection is non-negotiable when working in very dusty environments or where there is a risk of exposure to hazardous fumes.
There are several common types of respiratory PPE:
- Air-purifying respirators filter harmful matter out of the air as you breathe. Both disposable and reusable ones are available.
- Filtering facepiece respirators are designed to protect against specific hazards, such as dust.
- Powered respirators pull external air through a strong filter, using battery power.
- Supplied air respirators are used in the most dangerous work areas, where clean air is piped into a mask from outside the hazardous area.
10. Full Body Suits
Full-body suits are the most extreme form of personal protective equipment. They’re designed for the most hazardous environments, where no part of the body should be left exposed, and come with full head and face covering.
This provides complete protection when working with chemicals or in places that are otherwise heavily contaminated. They comprehensively safeguard workers against chemical splashes and other dangerous matter.